Pre-Application Conferences
A pre-application conference is a meeting between an applicant and City staff to share information about a proposed development and applicable review procedures, standards and fees. Other agency staff and members of the public may also attend pre-application conferences.
Purpose
Pre-application conferences are intended to help the applicant understand the requirements of the Vancouver Municipal Code and other laws and identify issues and concerns in advance of a formal application. This helps the applicant save time and expense through the process. Pre-application conferences also help to inform the public of potential developments within their community.
However, pre-application conferences are not intended to provide an exhaustive review of potential issues. A pre-application conference does not prevent the City from applying all relevant laws to the application.
Required Pre-Application Conferences
Pre-application conferences are typically required for all Type II, Type III and applicant-initiated Type IV applications and for some Type I applications, unless waived by the Planning Official.
Pre-application conferences can be requested for Type I procedures as well but are optional. If a pre-application conference is required, the applicant must receive the pre-application conference report or an approved pre-application conference waiver before submitting the land use application.
Pre-Application waivers
Generally, the Planning Official may waive the pre-application conference only if it is determined that the proposal is relatively simple (e.g. has few, if any, development-related issues).
Request a Conference
To request a pre-application conference, an applicant must email the pre-application conference form to eplans@cityofvancouver.us. Then, pay the required fee and upload required submittal items to ePlans.
- The materials submitted help City and other agency staff understand the proposed development and enable staff to advise the applicant of applicable approvals and requirements.
- The Planning Official may waive submittal requirements upon request if found to be inapplicable to the proposed development.
Scheduling the conference
Once everything is submitted, the City notifies the applicant of their scheduled conference.
The City also notifies members of the public and city-recognized neighborhood associations of the pre-application conference and invites them to attend. This allows the public to collect information about the development and share it with the neighborhood and to identify areas of potential concern early in the review process.
All interested parties are encouraged contact the case manager listed on the emailed project notice or on the pre-application agenda. To leave a comment or follow up with questions, please contact a planner at cddplanning@cityofvancouver.us or the planner voicemail box at 360-487-7803.
Attending the Conference
All pre-application conferences are held virtually via Microsoft Teams on Thursdays, typically within three weeks of the request. The specific time is set according to availability.
The applicant will meet virtually with the City staff responsible for planning, engineering, transportation, drainage, parks and other pertinent subjects. In addition, staff from other recognized affected agencies and members of the public are invited to attend.
During the conference, City staff will discuss a set of detailed written comments with the applicant in regard to applicable standards and any potential issues that have been identified.
After the Conference
The pre-application conference report will be available on the City’s ePlans system the day before the pre-application conference is scheduled to be held.
Pre-application comments expire a year from the date the conference is held. If a fully complete land use application has not been submitted within one year from the date of the pre-application conference, a new pre-application conference must be held, or approval of a pre-application conference waiver granted, before the land use application will be accepted.
Vesting
Type I, Type II, and Type III applications are considered under the subdivision, zoning, and other land development codes in effect at the time a fully complete application is filed: provided, an application which is subject to pre-application review shall contingently vest on the date a pre-application is filed, which contingent vesting shall become final if a fully complete application for substantially the same proposal is filed within one-hundred eighty (180) calendar days of the issuance of the pre-application report.